Lighting fixture globe attaching means



April 30, 1968 R. E. STEINER LIGHTING FIXTURE GLOBE ATTACHING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 7, 1966 l a a MW 0 2 I 4 w 4 m April 30, 1968 R. E. STEINER 3,381,126

LIGHTING FIXTURE GLOBE ATTACHING MEANS Filed Oct. '7, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3 381 126 LIGHTING FIXTURE GLOBE AT TACHING MEANS Robert E. Steiner, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Emerson Electric Co., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed Oct. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 585,069 4 Claims. (Cl. 240-78) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A ceiling mounted lighting fixture having a pair of resilient arms fastened at one end of a ceiling mounted lamp support and extending substantially horizontally therefrom and underlying and extending beyond opposite lower edge portions of a downwardly extending mm. The globe is thereby held upward against the lamp support or ceiling. The arms are sufiiciently resilient to be deflected downward when the globe is pulled downward manually. The lower edge of the rim is freely slidable off of one of the arms, but the other arm has an upwardly formed hook. The globe when pulled downward sufficiently is retained by the hooked end at one side and permitted to swing downward at its other side.

This invention relates to means attaching a light diffusing globe to support means in a ceiling mounted lighting fixture so that light bulbs enclosed thereby may be replaced conveniently without removing the globe from the fixture and so that, when desired, the globe may be conveniently removed from the fixture for cleaning.

An object of the invention is to provide novel means in a ceiling mounted lighting fixture for latching and hinging a light diffusing globe to facilitate the replacement of light bulbs.

A further object is to provide latching and hinging means for a light diffusing globe in a ceiling mounted lighting fixture which biases the globe in an upward closed position and permits it to be pulled vertically downward and then hinged openward, thereby to provide adequate access for the convenient replacement of light bulbs.

A further object is to provide latching means including means forming a conveniently detachable hinge connection with the light diffusing globe, thereby to permit convenient detachment of the globe for cleaning.

More specificially, it is an object to provide a formed spring element having one end thereof anchored to ceiling mounted support means, an intermediate portion thereof adapted to engage and bias a peripheral portion of a light diffusing globe upward in a closed position and having a hooked free end portion adapted to be engaged by the peripheral portion of the globe as it is pulled downward from its closed position, thereby to form a detachable pivotal connection therewith.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a bottom plan view of a flush-type ceiling mounted lighting fixture incorporating latch means constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the lighting fixture shown in FIG. 1, showing the light diffusing globe in a closed position, and is taken along line 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the lighting fixture showing the light diffusing globe in an open position and is taken along line 2 2 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the lighting fixture comprises a flanged circular mounting pan 10, a light diffusing globe 12 having a circular-necked opening, a flanged circular insert ring 14, a lamp bulb 16, and a lamp socket 18.

Attached to the bottom of pan 10 is a spring latch member generally indicated at 20 and a spring latch and hinge member generally indicated at 22. The fixture may further include a flat plate reflector 24 attached to the bottom of mounting pan 10. The flanged insert ring 14 is entered into the necked opening 24 of the globe 12 and is retained therein by a plurality of peripherally spaced spring clips 28.

The mounting pan 10 is attached to the ceiling 11 of a space to be lighted with its open flanged end 13 against the ceiling by any suitable means such as screws (not shown) passing through slotted holes 19 in the bottom 15 thereof. The flanged insert ring 14 is slightly larger in diameter than pan 10 and in a closed position of the globe, shown in FIG. 2, loosely fits over the pan with its upper flanged end 17 hearing against the flange 13 of pan 10. The lower edge of insert ring 14 extends slightly below the bottom of mounting pan 10. The globe is resiliently held in a closed position by the spring latch member 20 and the spring latch and hinge member 22 which are positioned so as to engage the lower edge of insert ring 14 at diametrically opposed portions of its periphery.

In a preferred form of the invention, the spring latch member 20 comprises a hairpin-like loop of spring wire having an intermediate portion of each leg formed as a coil, which coils are mounted on a pin 30 passing therethrough. The pin 30 is mounted in the turned down ears 32 of a bracket 34 which, in turn, is rigidly attached to the bottom 15 of pan 10 by a hollow rivet 36. The relatively short, straight, separated end portions 38 of the legs extend radially inward from pin 30 and bear upwardly against the bracket 34, and the relatively long, straight, loop end portions of the legs 39 extend radially outward from pin 30 beyond insert ring 14 and bear upwardly against the bottom edge of the insert ring.

The spring latch and hinge member 22, in a preferred form, also comprises a hairpin-like loop of spring wire having an intermediate portion of each leg formed as a coil, which coils are likewise mounted on a pin 30 supported in a bracket 34 attached to the bottom of mounting pan 10 by a hollow rivet 36. The straight, relatively short, separated end portions 38 of the legs of member 22 also extend radially inward from pin 30 and bear upwardly against bracket 34, and the loop end portions of the legs extend radially outward from pin 30 and bear upwardly against the bottom edge of insert ring 14. The loop end portions of the legs of member 22 are, however, somewhat longer than those of member 30 and include a straight portion 40, a hook-formed outer end portion 42, and a bight 44 jointing these two portions.

When it is desired to move the light diffusing globe 12 from its closed position, shown in FIG. 2, to its open position, shown in FIG. 3, to permit changing the light bulb, the globe 12 is grasped and pulled downward. As the globe is pulled downward, the loop end portions of members 29 and 22, hearing against the lower edge of insert ring 14, are deflected downward and the lower edge portion of the ring bearing on member 22 engages its hooked end 42. Plexing of the bight 44 of member 22 permits the globe and insert ring to be pulled further downward after its engagement in hook 42 until the loop end portion 39 of member 20 releases over the upper edge of insert ring 14. When this occurs the right side of the globe 12 swings downward pivoting about the point of engagement of the left lower edge portion of ring 14 with the hook 42 of member 22.

If it is desired to remove the globe for cleaning when it is in the open position shown in FIG. 3, it is merely detached from the hooked end portion 42. To reattach the globe, the looped end portion of member 22 is pulled downward and the lower edge of the globe insert ring 14 is inserted into the hooked end portion 42.

To reclose the globe from its open position in FIG. 3 to its closed position in FIG. 2, the looped end portion 39 of member 20 is pressed downward and held downward with one hand and with the other hand the globe is swung upward until the portion 9 enters the insert ring 14; the globe is then pushed upward to a closed position.

It will be noted that when the globe is in the open position of FIG. 3, its weight is supported by the latch and hinge member 22 near the end thereof. Under these conditions, the bight portion 44 will have straightened out somewhat permitting the globe and its hinge point at the hook 42 to move downward vertically, thereby providing additional clearance for replacement of the light bulb.

It will be further noted that as the globe 12 and ring 14 are pulled downward from a closed position they are constrained to move substantially vertically, initially by the vertical side walls of the mounting pan and then by the downwardly deflected looped end portions 39, 40, and 44 of members 20 and 22. The looped end portion 39 of member 20 has sufficient length to insure that, as the globe is pulled downward, the lower edge of ring 14 has entered hook 42 before portion 39 releases over the upper edge of ring 14, thereby to permit the right side to swing downward.

When the latch and hinge means hereinabove described is to be applied to a lighting fixture in which a light diffuser having a rectangular-shaped opening and insert is employed, it may be found desirable to provide at least two latch and hinge members 22 along one side thereof to preclude lateral tilting, particularly in the larger size globe openings.

The foregoing description is intended to be illustrative and not limiting, the scope of the invention being set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a ceiling mounted lighting fixture, lamp support means, a light diffusing globe having a downwardly extending rim, a pair of resilient arms attached at one end to said support means and extending generally horizontally therefrom toward opposite portions of said rim and transversely underlying and extending beyond opposite lower edge portions of said rim thereby to yieldably hold said globe in juxtaposition with said support means, said arms being sufficiently resilient to permit their downward deflection when said globe is pulled downward manually, said rim being freely slidable along both arms as they are deflected downward and said rim being free to slide oif of the end of one of said arms whereby it releases said rim when said globe is pulled downward sufiiciently, the other of said arms being provided with an upwardly formed hook at its free end adapted to be slidably entered by the lower edge portion of said rim as said globe is pulled downward, whereby one side of said rim is pivot- 4- I ally supported when the other side of said rim slides off of said one arm and is released and whereby a conven iently detachable hinge connection of the globe to said support means is provided.

2. An arrangement as set forth in claim 1 in which at least two resilient arms underlie the lower edge of said globe rim along one side thereof, and in which at least one resilient arm underlies the lower edge of the opposite side of said rirn, in which the resilient arms underlying said one side of said rim are provided with upwardly formed hooks at their outer free ends, and in which said resilient arms underlying the lower edge of said opposite side are free to slip off of said rim when said globe is pulled downward.

3. In a ceiling mounted lighting fixture, a mounting pan having a vertical side wall and a bottom, a light diffusing globe having a necked opening and an internal rim extending downwardly into said globe with a free lower edge, said rim being in surrounding loose fit relationship with the vertical wall of said pan when said globe is in a closed position, a pair of resilient arms each having one end thereof attached to said pan and extending oppositely and generally horizontally therefrom and underlying opposite lower edge portions of said globe rim thereby to yieldably hold said globe in a closed position, said arms being sufiiciently resilient to permit their downward deflection to a vertical position when said globe is pulled downwardly manually, one of said arms being freely slidable to its end on said rim whereby it releases from said rim when said globe is pulled downward sufiiciently, and the other of said arms having an upwardly formed hook at its outer end adapted to be slidably engaged by said lower rim edge as said globe is pulled downward, thereby providing a readily detachable pivotal connection of said globe to said support means when said one of said arms releases from said rim.

4. An arrangement, as claimed in claim 3, in which at least one of said arms comprises a hairpin-like loop of spring wire having intermediate leg portions thereof formed as coils, in which a pin fixed on said mounting pan passes through said coils, in which the open ends of said loop bear against said mounting pan, and in which the looped end portions underlie said globe rim.

FOREIGN PATENTS 628,820 10/1957 Canada. 638,320 3/1962 Canada.

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

G. M. HOFFMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

